The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-27
A STRANGE PHENOMENON.

.Iy Sold by Druggist, 75c.

rs Sold by Druggist, 75c.
a STRANGE PHENOMENON.
Mrs. Herbert, Of JOltet, Has NO,o Been
Asleep for Tro Hundred and Nineteen
DJyS-ORly T,oice IN tint Time has She
, Opened her Eyes Tile Doctors Puzzled
JOLIET, ILL.,, Aug. 1.-THE case of Mrs.
Herbert, the cataleptic of ST. Joseph's Hos.
pital, this city, is attracting very wide at
tention, and appears o. battle the efforts Of
medical men TO properly diognose It, For
2l9 days she has slept, and all the lngenu-
iiy and skill that has been brought 70 bear
10 bring her back TO consciousness has been
unavailable. She continues to sleep, day
after day, and has wasted away physically,
until now she is almost phantom. Local
spiritualists declare her to lie in trance
state and say that she will make some as
toniShing revelations before long. Cranks
of all caibres beseige the hospital, DESTROYS
of obtaining view of the famous sleeper,
but they are Iigidly excluded.
Meanwhile the impressive object of their
curiosity sits in the easy chair provided for
her ia ward I IF the h spital gradually
nearing a sleep that shall be etc nal She
rarely moves muscle, and should the at
tendant raise her arm and not replace 1t On
her lap it would remain In the exact posi-,
ton in which it had been placed until
again moved by the doctors or nurse.
The sleeper furnished everybody sur
prise yesterday, however. Old Mrs, Burns,
who knew Mrs. Herbert before her Cata
lepsy, occupies the same ward with her,
and yesterday WAS left alone for time
with the sleeper. Sister Barbara, hearing
an alarm from that ward, fastened thither
and found Mrs Burns crouched upon the
floor, crossing herself vigorously and in a
state of great excitement. When tues,
toned she told the following story of her
experience with Mrs. Herbert:
Lord help me, hut thought I'd have a
fit when saw the lids of her eyes roll up,
and she lookin at me wild all her might, as
If she'd look hole through me body.
When she seen how bad was scared she
set up a laughin', and thin, before could
get word in edgeways, she begin to rattle
away about Der neighbors as fast as horse
could trot. The sound Of her voice was SO
sharp that it give me a pain In my cara,
and | shook me hand at her by way of bid
din her to stop her clattar but she KEEP
right on, lex she was wound UP fur month.
At last sac stopped long enough to take
her breath, when | axed her why it was
she didn't spake of her children whin they
came TO see her tn o.her day. Wud we be
lieve il, the minute put that to her she
snapped her eyes shut lex two traps, and
her jaws whit to together like bang
Diyil the word more could get out of her,
50 called to Sister Barbary and towld her
just what I'm tellin' you now. | haven't
got over tn fright it's given me yet, and If
II wasn't that I've tn rheumatics so bad In
my legs I'd been out of tn room tn mo-
ment she opened her eyes
Dr. Ward. the physician who has attend.
ed Mrs Herbert closely, had a similar ex.
perienCe with her about two months ago
She had then been asleep three months, but
the doctor was not even then convinced
that she was not shamming. One day he
observed that the pose of the wOman's
head indicated that she had been leaning
forward and had quickly strai ghtened it up
as he entered the room. Her hands were
extremely cold and her lips a deep purple
Her face was as pillid as death. The doc
tor tol her to stand up. She did not move
until he touched her shoulder, when she
Immediately stood up rs requested, hel
arms hanging lifeless at her sides The
doctor then had small footstool placed Ii
tneir path and then said
"Now, Mrs Herbert, we will take ou>
morning walk
at may have been Imagination" sale
the doctor, "but | thought | saw the sug
gestlou of smile play about the corners o
her mouth as 1 spoke to her. However
holding her hand in mine, led the way (,
the center of the room, where Sister Bar
bara had placed the foot stool, and as W,
neared 1t quickened the pace somewhat
and Mrs Herbert tripped over it, am
would certainly have fallen had not beef
there TO catch her. AS she Strengthened
herself up she opened her eyes for a mo
ment only, and then burst out laughing.
seemed TO be a historical laugh, but sh,
was over 1t Ia a moment, and she becam,
apparently rs insensible as ever to any ply
steal emotion from that day until yester
day, when she is alleged to have talked q
length with Mrs. Brrns
at is certainly the case" continued Dr.
Ward, that she is now as fast asleep a
ever, and II is grave question whether he
next awakening, should the interregnun
Of apathy be extended TO the same Perio
as has been noted In the past, will not be i
another world"
Mrs. Herbert receives only about enoug
food daily 10 sustain life In bird, the do;
tors say, and 1t is their opinion that sh
cannot long live in her present condition
since she is so fail now that il seems to r.
quire no more than breath of air to bio,
her away. 1t is the mos, remarkable cas-
of the kind on record
John Hill, knswn as Norwegian King,